CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Coe College baseball team split a pair of games with league-leading Buena Vista on Saturday afternoon, winning 11-3 in game one while suffering an 11-6 defeat in game two. Coe scored a season-high 11 runs in the series-opening victory, getting four extra base hits including a pair of homers from TJ Johnson and Creighton Kreshel. The Kohawks also got a solid pitching effort from senior TJ Deardorff who earned his fourth win of the season after 5.2 innings of work. Buena Vista responded in game two, scoring four runs in the first two innings while racking up 12 hits in the game to clinch the A-R-C regular-season title outright. The split moves Coe to 17-17 on the season and 11-1 in the A-R-C while Buena Vista moves to 21-12 overall and 17-6 in league play. 
 
GAME ONE
COE 11 - BVU 3
Game Facts

• Buena Vista opened the scoring in the first inning, getting a run-scoring two-out double to jump ahead 1-0. Coe immediately responded, getting three runs on three hits to take its first lead of the game. The rally got started with a pair of one-out singles as Jacob Brosius and TJ Johnson reached safely for Coe before Reid Rausch loaded the bases with a walk. Coe's first run of the game came on a wild pitch with Brosius scampering home from third to tie the game at one. The Kohawks took the lead later in the inning on a two-out double down the right-field line from line Creighton Kreshel, who drove home Rausch and Johnson.
• The Kohawks added to their lead in the bottom of the third after a pair of scoreless defensive frames, getting one run on a pair of hits. Rausch led off with a double and was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Kreshel. Tyler Elliott made it 4-1 in Coe's next at-bat, singling to right field to push Rausch across. The offense kept clicking in the bottom of the fourth, getting a two-run homer from TJ Johnson who drove home Mitchell Eckardt with the big blast. 
• Buena Vista made things interesting again in the top of the fifth, getting a two-run homer with one out to slice the deficit to just three. Coe restored its four-run advantage in the bottom of the sixth as Eckardt scored from third on a passed ball. Kreshel added to Coe's lead in the bottom of the seventh, leading the inning off with a solo homer over the center-field fence to make it 8-3. 
• The Kohawks capped off the offensive effort in the bottom of the eighth, scoring three runs on two hits. James VanHooser and Eckardt walked to start the inning and were moved to third on Brosius' bunt base-hit. TJ Johnson picked up the first RBI of the inning in the next AB, flying out to right field while driving home VanHooser. The next run came with runners on the corners with the Kohawks implementing the double steal play as Brosius stole second, allowing Eckardt to sprint home. Coe's final run of the game came on another wild pitch as Brosius crossed home to increase the lead to 11-3. Austin Divello, who entered the game in the top of the eighth, returned to the mound for the final three outs and worked a scoreless frame while stranding a runner on third. 

 
GAME TWO
BVU 11 - COE 6
Game Facts

• BVU again scored first in game two, pushing three across in the top of the first inning to put the pressure on Coe. The hosts responded in the bottom of the frame, getting a pair of runs on two hits to slice the deficit to one. Eckardt walked to lead off the inning and moved to second with one out on a wild pitch. TJ Johnson picked up the first RBI of the inning, singling up the middle to plate Eckardt. Johnson stole second to move into scoring position during the next at-bat and was immediately driven in by Rausch who singled to left to make it 3-2. 
• BVU clapped back in the second, getting back one run in the top of the inning on a two-out RBI single. Coe continued to battle despite the deficit, flipping the score with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Eckardt walked to lead off the inning but was retired in the next plate appearance with Brosius grounding into a fielder's choice. TJ Johnson then reached on a single to put runners on the corner and Coe again went to the double steal but an errant throw down to third got past the fielder and allowed Brosius to make it 4-3. Kreshel then gave the Kohawks a 5-4 lead three batters later, hitting a two-run homer over the right-field fence for his second homer of the day. 
• The Beavers immediately tied the game in the top of the fourth inning, taking advantage of a leadoff walk with an RBI single later in the frame. The visitors added another run to their lead in the top of the fifth, scoring on a doubleplay groundout with runners on the corners as Coe surrendered the run to turn a pair. Coe quickly tied the game in the bottom of the inning as TJ Johnson picked up an RBI double with one out, driving home Eckardt who walked to start the inning. 
• BVU took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth inning with a pair of runs on just one hit. The Beavers took the lead on an RBI double to go up 7-6 with one out and later made it 8-6 after an error from the Kohawks. The lead increased in the top of the eighth for the Beavers, who stretched their lead to 9-6 on a wild pitch with runners on second and third. Buena Vista ended the scoring in the top of the ninth, getting a two-RBI single with two outs in the inning as the Beavers claimed an 11-6 victory.  

Up next: The Kohawks will finish off their regular-season conference schedule with one final contest against the Beavers tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 PM.
 
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